Explains how one teacher developed a cross-age tutoring program that allowed her high school students to help primary grade problem readers. Argues that high school students with reading problems make good tutors for troubled beginning readers because they are sympathetic and inventive. (FL)

Supports the theory that poor school achievement by many minority group children is related to the nature of teacher-pupil classroom interaction and describes a new construct, the balance of rights in speaking and turntaking between teacher and students. (AEA)

An extensive case history of instructional environment and acquisition of reading skills by 50 first-grade students in ten classrooms indicates that the rate at which students mastered decoding depended on classroom instruction with direct instruction appearing most profitable for children from low-socioeconomic backgrounds. (MKM)

Reports that first grade children in Zaire who used a carefully controlled native language primer (developed to meet a need for up-to-date, relevant primers in Zairean languages) achieved higher reading scores than children who used an old (1952) primer. (GT)

Contains suggestions from six contributors, including the use of parents as an audience for beginning readers; outdoor activities to motivate readers; word order recognition exercise; a books-by-mail library service for rural students; using remedial students to read to younger children; and a language arts/social studies project. (FL)

Analyzes a report by D.D. Steinberg and J. Yamada that investigated which of the different types of scripts used in Japanese writing was the easiest to learn to read. (MKM)

Offers a rebuttal to Tzeng and Singer's criticism of the authors' study of the ease of learning to read the different Japanese scripts. States that the symbols and words were taught in the ordinary situation in which they are learned. (MKM)

Details an investigation of the relative contribution of two dimensions of field dependence-independence to the prediction of specific reading skills for first-grade children in an intensive phonics program and in a basal reader program supplemented with phonics. (FL)

Easy-to-read books are not just stories. Many are about science, math, and history. This article provides an annotated bibliography of story, history, math, and science easy-to-read books published in 1997. The author recommends spending money to replace worn older outstanding titles rather than automatically buying new titles of lesser quality.…

This study compared the "Bridge" experimental reading program and whole language instruction with 106 economically disadvantaged first graders at risk for reading difficulties. The "Bridge" program uses icons or picture symbols to facilitate print word identification. The "Bridge" group performed significantly better…

This study used an early screening approach to determine the risk status of children in five urban schools and to monitor their reading growth over 3 years. It found that students with behavioral risk factors did better than those with academic risk factors and that the "Reading Mastery" curriculum resulted in the best growth in reading fluency.…

Discusses a project that examined literacy development within the context of play in two Reykjavik preschool classrooms. Suggests that preschool teachers should enrich dramatic play with literacy props and print materials. Indicates that incorporating print materials in dramatic play provides a natural extension of children's preschool work and…

This study with 83 normally developing children (ages 4-6) compared three essential skills in early literacy, letter-sound recognition, letter-sound recall, and letter reproduction. Children performed better in letter-sound recognition than in letter-sound recall and letter reproduction. There were no performance differences due to sex or age.…

Shares 16 insights about reading instruction which two professors gained from first-grade students when they left the university setting and returned to teach in public schools. (MG)

Investigates whether prereaders who knew all their letters are better at forming logographic access routes than letter-sound access routes into memory from words read by sight. Concludes that prereaders become capable of forming letter-sound access routes when they learn letters well enough to take advantage of the phonetic cues the letters…